The Return of the King: A Generation of Prodigies

Chapter 223 Late Night Visit

"Master, we're here. Shall we go down and knock on the door?"

Xia He's words interrupted Shen Tian's recollection. She came back to her senses and said, "No need. I'll just watch from outside."

Although I really wanted to go down and enter General Chu's mansion to see what it looked like inside.

But it is the middle of the night after all, and it would be inappropriate for the current queen to suddenly enter the mansion and disturb them.

Shen Tianjiao lifted the curtain of the carriage and looked outside. Unlike her previous life, the current General Chu Mansion was not the same General Chu Mansion where the future Chu Qingge would be born.

Although Chu Yan is now a general, his status is still far inferior to those generals of his time.

At this time, the Marquis of Zhenbei was still alive, and the Chu family had not yet reached the point where it could be reused and prosper.

At this time, the plaque on the door of General Chu's Mansion was still written with very simple black and gold characters, with only the simple words "Chu Mansion", not the Xian'en Marquis Mansion of the previous life.

Xian'en Marquis Mansion was talked about and admired by people in the previous life. It was called the second pillar of Yunli's country after Zhenbei Marquis Mansion, but now it sounds extremely ironic.

Xian En Hou, Xian En Hou, huh! Whose grace are you showing off?

It's just a tool knife in the emperor's hand. When it's used up, the birds will fly away, the bows will be put away, the rabbits will die, and the dogs will be cooked.

If the course of history could really be changed, Shen Tianjiao would hope that the Chu family could live an ordinary and stable life like they do now.

Don't fight or compete, don't be used by anyone, don't be a knife in anyone's hand, and you can last forever.

"I wonder who is visiting late at night? Would you be willing to come to my house for a gathering?"

Suddenly, a voice as loud as a bell came from outside, which startled Shen Tianjiao and made her heart jump. She guessed who was speaking.

"The Queen is here, no unreasonable noises are allowed!"

Before Shen Tianjiao could say anything, the guards outside the carriage shouted at her.

"I have been so shameless as to disturb Her Majesty the Queen. I deserve death. I hope Her Majesty will forgive me."

Shen Tianjiao guessed correctly. The person talking outside was her grandfather in her previous life, Chu Yi, the major general of the Chu family.

Shen Tianjiao, who was not yet ready to meet her family from her previous life, was forced to show up by the guard's shout.

"General Chu, please stand up." Shen Tianjiao got off the carriage and signaled the guards around her to help Chu Yi.

Now this body belongs to Shen Tianjiao, but her soul and consciousness belong to Chu Qingge. No matter what, she still can't get over the hurdle in her heart and accept her grandfather kneeling down to her.

Before the guards could help him, Chu Yi jumped up from the ground by himself.

Looking at the overly lively 'grandfather' in front of her, Shen Tianjiao found it really hard to change her mind for a while.

"Your Majesty, please come in." Chu Yi, a night owl, had just returned from practicing martial arts with his friends outside. Who would have thought that he would meet the queen at his doorstep?

At this time, not only Shen Tianjiao felt restrained and uncomfortable, but Chu Yi also felt uncomfortable all over.

"Yeah." Shen Tianjiao nodded and followed Chu Yi to the gate of the Chu Mansion.

Chu Yi reached out and knocked on the door gently, saying softly, "Open the door!"

Immediately, I heard the sound of a door opening from inside, and then the door was opened.

"The young master is back." The doorman lowered his head respectfully. Seeing Shen Tianjiao coming in with Chu Yi, he didn't dare to ask any more questions.

"Yes." Chu Yi responded, then quickly pulled the doorman aside and ordered, "Quick, go inform my father and tell him to get up and welcome me."

The doorman was so shocked by Chu Yi's words that he didn't know what to do and just stood there motionless.

"What are you still standing there for? Go quickly!" Chu Yi growled anxiously.

"Oh." The doorman reacted, turned around and trotted away.

When Chu Yan was called up, he was very angry about getting up.

"If that little bastard doesn't tell me the truth today, I'm going to break his legs."

"General, the young master wants you to get up and welcome him." The doorman looked at Chu Yan tremblingly and repeated what he had just said.

He was afraid that his master was in a bad mood and didn't hear clearly what he had just said.

Sure enough, after the doorman repeated it again, Chu Yan immediately came to his senses, "What did you say?"

"The master told you to get up and welcome him." The doorman repeated what he had just said.

This time Chu Yan heard it clearly, but he didn't believe it and thought Chu Yi was joking with him.

Chu Yan was neither an important official of the court nor a member of the royal family. How could that person from the palace suddenly come to his house in the middle of the night?

The doorman saw Chu Yan's confusion and said, "General, it should be correct. The young master came back with a nobleman of extraordinary temperament."

"He came back with a nobleman of extraordinary temperament?" Chu Yan pondered this sentence carefully, and finally decided to believe his son.

Although Chu Yan is a bit naughty on weekdays, this child is still very steady and would not joke with himself about such things.

With a half-believing and half-doubting attitude, Chu Yi came to his own guest room. When he saw that the current queen was really sitting in the guest room waiting for him, Chu Yan immediately felt his legs go weak.

Then this crazy general, who was like a madman on the battlefield and was not afraid of anyone, knelt down straight like a fool, not knowing what to say.

Chu Yi couldn't bear to see his father like this. He stood beside him and tried his best to wink at his father, but unfortunately his father was so nervous that he didn't even bother to look at him.

"General Chu, please stand up quickly." Compared to Chu Yan, Shen Tianjiao was actually more nervous.

This kind of suppression from blood is not just talk.

Chu Yi went forward and helped his father up. Chu Yan cleared his throat and asked, "I wonder what instructions the Empress has for visiting my humble abode so late at night?"

"It's nothing serious, I just want to ask General Chu for a favor."

Shen Tianjiao didn't even dare to look up at Chu Yan. She felt uncomfortable all over and was so nervous that she was sweating.

"Your Majesty, if there is anything you need, please just give me your instructions. As long as it is something I can do, I will do it without hesitation."

The person Chu Yan respected most in his life was the Marquis of Zhenbei. This queen was born in the Marquis of Zhenbei's mansion. Everyone had witnessed the thundering methods, courage, boldness and ability that she had demonstrated in the past six months.

She has conquered many people in the court with her unique personal charm.

Her iron fist and policies that benefit the people not only give the people of Yunli hope and a sense of security, but also make these court officials feel hopeful.

Chu Yan had long wanted to visit the Zhenbei Marquis's Mansion, but he had no opportunity or suitable reason.

Although his Chu Family Army was under the jurisdiction of Marquis Zhenbei, they were not from the same faction as Marquis Zhenbei. If he went there rashly without a proper reason, it would probably lead to misunderstandings.

But now the Queen Mother actually came to visit him late at night. This was really a great opportunity given to him by God. How could he miss it?

Shen Tianjiao smiled and thought that this great-grandfather whom she had never met was completely different from the one she had heard from others. She still preferred the real great-grandfather in front of her.

"It's not a big deal. I just want to ask General Chu to say hello to your General Feng Dapao. There will be some changes in Pingzhou soon."

"He doesn't need to send out troops. He just needs to control his men and tell them not to talk nonsense or move around."

Shen Tianjiao's words made Chu Yan's face change. He knew very well what kind of place Pingzhou was. It was an important transportation fortress, but it was also a place where all kinds of people mixed together.

If an official who goes there does not have a strong backer, not to mention whether he can continue to hold the position, even his life is another matter.

The previous governor of Pingzhou, Yuan Qing, hadn't even had time to warm his seat when he was used as a shield and thrown out. His whereabouts are still unknown.

The Queen now says that there will be some changes in Pingzhou, which means that the situation in Pingzhou has attracted the attention of the court, and next time, ruthless measures will be taken to deal with the troubles in Pingzhou.

A smile appeared on Chu Yan's face. This queen was indeed extraordinary. Under her wise leadership, Yunli Kingdom would surely be able to regain its vitality and become the largest country in Jiuzhou.

It would be against the will of heaven if he didn't participate in such a good thing.

"Don't worry, Queen. I will handle this matter personally. I will leave for Pingzhou shortly."

"Your Majesty, I would like to ask, who is currently in charge of Pingzhou?"

Shen Tianjiao didn't expect that her great-grandfather would be such an impatient person. He would go in person for just one order.

She originally didn't want to let the Chu family get involved, at least not now. Now is not the best time.

But judging by the current situation, it may be impossible not to let the Chu family get involved.

But it doesn't matter this way. I'll get involved sooner or later anyway, so it doesn't matter whether it's sooner or later.

"The one currently in charge of Pingzhou is my second brother, Shen Tingzhi, the former governor of Ganzhou."

Chu Yan was shocked once again. Shen Tingzhi, the second son of the Marquis of Zhenbei, was a man of both literary and military abilities, a rare talent in a century.

The three sons and one daughter of the Marquis of Zhenbei were all outstanding people, but Chu Yan had only seen Shen Tingzhi before and had been on the battlefield with Shen Tingzhi.

He still remembers the young general's heroic appearance of being fearless in the face of danger and commanding thousands of troops to fight the enemy.

Chu Yan felt it would be a great honor if he had the chance to fight alongside Shen Tingzhi this time.

"So it's the Second Young Master who's in charge of Pingzhou. Then the Queen's plan will surely come to fruition."

Although he still didn't know what happened in Pingzhou, Chu Yan had a serious filter for Shen Tingzhi. In his heart, he had already determined that no matter what the matter was, Shen Tingzhi could solve it.

"Then I'll take advantage of General Chu's good words."

Seeing Chu Yan's eyes shining when he mentioned Shen Tingzhi, Shen Tianjiao knew that he and her second brother must be old acquaintances. This was a good thing, as it allowed them to spend more time together in advance so that they could work together in the future.

Even though Chu Qingge has now become Shen Tianjiao, she cannot give up her family from her previous life. This is a bond that transcends time and space.

"It is really rude to disturb you so late at night. I will prepare a generous gift someday and have someone come to apologize on my behalf."

Shen Tianjiao stood up and said goodbye. Everything had been resolved and there was no need to stay any longer.

"I respectfully send the Queen off." Seeing Shen Tianjiao was about to leave, Chu Yan quickly knelt down again.

This time, Shen Tianjiao quickly stepped forward and gave Chu Yan a little support. She wanted to leave this place quickly, otherwise she was afraid that when she fell asleep at night, her ancestors would come to her in her dreams and scold her for being an unfilial descendant.

"General Chu, there's no need to be so polite, and there's no need to see me off."

Shen Tianjiao nodded at Chu Yan and quickly slipped away. If she didn't leave quickly, she was really afraid that her great-grandfather would kneel down to her again, which she couldn't bear.

Because Shen Tianjiao said there was no need to see them off, the Chu father and son stood there and didn't dare to move. They only breathed a sigh of relief when Shen Tianjiao's back disappeared.

"Oh my God, I'm so scared." Chu Yi collapsed directly on the chair. This was the first time in his life that he had seen such a big scene.

That was the Queen, not only the master of the Central Palace, but also the decision-maker of the previous dynasty. He met her so easily at the doorstep of his own home. He still felt like he was dreaming.

"You little bastard!" Chu Yan looked back at Chu Yi, raised his hand and slapped him on the back of the head.

Chu Yan was also very scared tonight, and his back was soaked with cold sweat.

"Dad, why do you hit me? If you only hit my head every time, I will become stupid." Chu Yi looked at his father and expressed his dissatisfaction to him.

"Even if I don't beat you, you're still a fool. Maybe if I beat you a few more times you'll become smarter."

Faced with his son's dissatisfaction, Chu Yan didn't care and chose to ignore it.

"Go, prepare my horse. I'm leaving for Pingzhou now."

Chu Yan felt that there was a fire burning in his body. He couldn't bear to delay his departure for Su Pingzhou for even a moment, let alone go back to take a nap.

Chu Yi was speechless looking at his father. Why was he in such a hurry? He couldn't even wait until dawn. It wasn't like they could get there right away once they left Shangjing City.

"Father, the gates leading out of Shangjing City are now closed. Unless it's an emergency, without an imperial order, even if the emperor himself were to go there, the patrol camp wouldn't open the gates for you."

"Even if the patrol camp opened the door for you, it would definitely cause a big uproar and be known to everyone in the city. Wouldn't that ruin the Queen's plan?"

"Don't forget, what the Empress is about to do must be kept strictly confidential. Otherwise, she wouldn't have asked you to inform Uncle Feng and have him control his subordinates."

Chu Yan patted his head. He was so anxious that he even forgot such an important thing.